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OUR SERVICES
Choice. Challenge. Change.
WHAT WE DO
Our projects provide 1-2-1 support, outreach work and targeted group work programmes. From initial risk assessment and referral processes, we assess the children and young people using a contextual safeguarding framework, which is recognised as one of the most current and effective approaches.
Our staff use the children and young people’s understanding, knowledge and awareness to create change within them. This change could be behavioural, social or cultural. This includes exploring support around healthy relationships, protective behaviours and self-esteem.
Our support is long-term allowing us to consistently demonstrate improved levels of wellbeing.
Our Youth Participation programme is essential to ensuring we are a youth led organisation. Young people are involved in designing and reviewing our services. This involvement provides an opportunity to build upon their self-esteem, confidence and gives them the knowledge that they are using their experiences to help others.
WHO WE WORK WITH
Collaboration is essential to the success of our work and the outcomes we deliver for children and young people.
Link to Change are the only voluntary organisation that attends all of the key meetings across the county, alongside the Police and three Local Authorities. These meetings include; the Pan-Bedfordshire CE Strategic Board, the county Serious Youth Violence Board and the Bedfordshire Multi-Agency Gang Panel. We are instrumental in leading and chairing the Pan-Bedfordshire Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Digital Safeguarding group and sit on the Pan-Bedfordshire Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Co-Ordinating Group.
Our young people and staff support university and academic centres of research in understanding child sexual and criminal exploitation. Through our Youth Participation programme our young people act in an advisory capacity to the three Local Authorities and Police.
OUR PROJECTS
Choice. Challenge. Change.
CHALLENGE
Cycle of Exploitation
Providing wellbeing and resilience support to children and young people aged 12-26 years old in changing the cycle of exploitation.
Our Challenge Projects are:
Pan-Bedfordshire Services Project
The Dodgems Project
Changing FACES
The Alexi Project
CHANGE
Participation
Providing empowerment and participation to young people after a life of exploitation.
All of our young people are able to access and join our Youth Participation Programme.
PROFESSIONALS TRAINING
Grow Your Knowledge
Link to Change can offer a wide variety of professionals training countrywide. We have a choice of training delivery packages as well as offering bespoke training tailored specifically to your organisations need.
Our training packages include:
Advanced Awareness of Exploitation
Exploitation in Boys and Young Men
Working Effectively with Exploitation
MEET THE TEAM
Passionate About Change
TESTIMONIALS
What would you say has been the most positive thing from having Link to Change in your life?
“To talk to someone innit. You can’t (pauses) right, life is like a bin yeah. You can put loads and loads of rubbish in yeah, but at some point it’s gonna overflow and you gotta empty it. But if you just keep leaving it and leaving it and leaving it, it becomes a pile. And then once it becomes a pile, keep leaving it, it becomes a mound, and once it becomes a mound it becomes a mountain. So you’ve gotta clean it….. it’s not as much of a mess no more ”
Link to Change Young Person
At all times I felt you understood the student you worked with, were clear on your role and delivered it exceptionally well. I can also say the student who you worked with has had a lot of intervention but engaged especially well with you. From a student whose attendance was as low as 40% and now reaching attendance hitting the high 80s this has massively improved.
Last year I would have been very doubtful she would have sat any exams but now I believe she is going to be sitting all of her core subjects and a couple of option subjects too which is amazing.
Professional
It was like really bad like I wouldn’t listen to my mum, every time she told me to do something I wouldn’t do it. Erm every time I walked into school and I had a bad day I’d take it out on her and I’d have a massive go at her, and I’d shout and I’d scream then my sister gets involved, then if my brother’s there he’d get involved and I’d be shouting and screaming at all of them.”
Link to Change Young Person
The way the programme was presented; there was no pressure on the students to attend, they could come and go as they pleased, speak when they wanted to or not. They were listened to, they felt heard, and because of this the students attended and stayed for the full session and participated.
Professional
Where we are working with very limited resources, Link to Change are able to get to know the young person, they are very specialist with specialist skills and knowledge and they are able to work with the young person in a manner that suits them.
Professional
REFERRALS
Client Referrals
If you are interested in referring a young person to any of our projects please complete a Referral Assessment Form (see notes below).
Please complete the form as comprehensively as possible and return to us either by email or post (Link to Change, 38a High Street, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 1JA).
Notes:
Please note that when sending a referral with client details that this is sent through a secure network to our secure Link to Change email.
Referrals for clients under the age of 18 living in Bedfordshire or Luton must be made to us using the Pan-Bedfordshire Risk Assessment form. Email to:
Referrals for boys and young men under the age of 18 living in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough must be made to us using the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Referral Form below. Email to:
For clients aged 18 and over please use Link to Change's Referral Assessment Form below and return to:
Bedfordshire and Luton:
Cambridgeshire/Peterborough: